The escape Hamlet: Teaching Shakespeare and key competences through gamification
The escape Hamlet: Teaching Shakespeare and key competences through gamification

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the design and outcomes of an educational experiment conducted at New Bulgarian University, in which Escape Hamlet, a gamified learning activity based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet, was developed and implemented. The experiment explores the possibility to design an educational activity that successfully combines three objectives: serious engagement with a literary text, work on the key competences for lifelong learning, and student engagement through gamification. The article first outlines the educational context of teaching Shakespeare in Bulgaria and discusses the relevance of competence-based learning. It then explains the rationale for applying gamification and describes the process of designing the game. Based on observations of playthroughs it analyzes how participants interact with the puzzles and reflect on the learning effects of the activity. The article finds that combining subject-based learning with competence-based learning is both feasible and beneficial, and that gamification has significant potential to (re)engage students with learning. The full script of the game is provided in an appendix to encourage further adaptation and use in educational contexts.

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